Professor Parastou Donyai

RPS Chief Scientist

Professor Parastou Donyai, BPharm (Hons), BSc (Hons) Psych (Open), PhD, PGCertEBM, PGCertPsychTher, PGCertTLHE, PGDPRM (Open), MRPharmS, FHEA, MBPsS, is Chief Scientist for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

As well as being a pharmacist, Parastou has formally trained in psychological theory and research methods. Parastou divides her time between the RPS and King’s College London as Head of Pharmacy and Professor of Behavioural Pharmacy, having previously worked at Reading School of Pharmacy as Professor of Social and Cognitive Pharmacy for 14 years.

Parastou has published extensively on behavioural pharmacy, including medication beliefs, medicines prescribing and use, and public opinion and willingness to engage in medicines reuse. Her work also examines how language plays a key role in communicating with patients as well as teaching students. Her research has been funded by the Wellcome Trust, Alzheimer’s Society, Pharmacy Research UK, Health Education England, and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.

Parastou obtained her pharmacy degree from King’s College London in 1993 and, after qualifying as a pharmacist, returned to King’s to obtain her PhD in pharmaceutical science. She spent time exploring careers outside of academia including in the pharmaceutical industry, publishing, quality assurance and pharmacy practice before being drawn back to academia.

Passionate about Continuing Professional Development, Parastou has undertaken additional education & training including leadership courses run by Henley Business School, postgraduate qualifications in teaching, therapeutics and methods, and even a further science degree in psychology.

She has held various administrative responsibilities in academia, including leading teams of people in addition to managing a multitude of research projects.